NEEDLE DROP: Wynton Marsalis, First Kiss

This is a quickie, for your listening enjoyment. Since we were discussing Wynton in the last post, I offer this sample of his most recent work. Given the big debate about tradition vs. the avant garde, where does this sit for you? Myself, I think it's a happy balance between the two. I hear the blues, I hear the large ensemble sound of Duke Ellington's orchestra, but I also hear touches of dissonance and humor and originality. And it's blissfully short! So much jazz of the last 40 years suffers from bloat and bombast. Cheers to you, Wynton, you're no roadblock to the advancement of jazz.